Living far away from family is a challenge at the best of times, but it becomes particularly difficult around the winter holidays. For many expatriates and global citizens, however, the distance is bridged by mixing and matching festive traditions from different cultures to create something uniquely personal. Consider an Italian living in France with a British husband, who bridges three distinct worlds for an extravagant holiday season. On Christmas Eve, the household enjoys oysters and Champagne in true French fashion, followed by an Italian seafood feast and traditional British Christmas crackers—though they draw the line at heavy Christmas pudding, opting instead for a simple, sweet slice of pandoro.
Whether individuals spend Christmas far from their home countries, choose to chase the winter sun in December, or drive home through snow-covered landscapes, one of the enduring joys of the season is making memories and indulging in nostalgic traditions. All over the globe, different nations and cultures celebrate the winter holidays in distinct ways, marking the period with long-established rites or merging heritages to forge new customs. From seafood feasts on Christmas Day in Australia to surfing figures catching waves off the coast of Southern California, the world observes the season with a remarkable mosaic of wholesome and surprising rituals.
Christmas Traditions Around the World
Japan: The Unexpected Legacy of KFC for Christmas
While Christmas is not recognized as a national holiday in Japan, the festive season is still widely observed—albeit in a manner that often surprises international visitors. As part of a massive marketing campaign launched in 1974, just a few years after the first Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant opened in the country, the fast-food brand introduced the slogan "Kentucky for Christmas." The promotional campaign struck a chord with the public, and the concept quickly became a national fixture.
On Christmas Day today, millions of Japanese families tuck into a full feast of fried chicken. The tradition has grown so immensely popular that customers often have to place their orders weeks in advance to secure a bucket for the big day. The original festive meal even included a bottle of wine to elevate the experience. Japanese Christmas cake is equally unique, with strawberry shortcake—featuring delicate layers of sponge cake, whipped cream, and fresh strawberries—reigning supreme as the ultimate seasonal dessert.
Italy: Regional Feasts and La Befana, the Festive Witch
In Italy, food serves as the emotional and cultural heart of Christmas celebrations. Every region boasts its own distinct culinary traditions and dishes, enjoyed across Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and throughout the broader holiday season. While northern Italians traditionally tuck into comforting bowls of tortellini in broth, southern celebrations often pull out all the stops. Family tables feature up to twelve different dishes, predominantly centered around fish on Christmas Eve, before culminating in traditional sweets and an abundance of cracked nuts accompanied by lively rounds of the game tombola.
Yet, if there is one holiday tradition shared across the entire Italian peninsula, it is the charmingly quirky folklore of La Befana. She is depicted as a benevolent, witch-like old woman who flies through the night skies on a broomstick on January 5. She leaves gifts for children to discover on the morning of January 6, a day known as Epiphany, or Epifania in Italian. Well-behaved children wake up to find sweets and presents in their stockings, while traditionally mischievous ones receive coal. In modern times, however, this coal is usually made of sweet, sugary charcoal that is remarkably delicious.
Scotland: Hogmanay and Kilts Aplenty
The most significant distinction in the Scottish festive calendar is the immense cultural emphasis placed on Hogmanay, the local celebration of the New Year. Once Christmas Day has drawn to a close, the focus pivots entirely toward welcoming the arrival of January. Massive street parties in cities such as Edinburgh roll on well into the early hours of the morning. Revelers join voices to sing Robert Burns’s timeless anthem Auld Lang Syne at the stroke of midnight, and the ancient custom of "first-footing" takes place across neighborhoods.
According to folklore, the very first visitor to cross a home’s threshold after midnight brings good fortune for the year ahead. These visitors traditionally arrive bearing symbolic gifts, such as a bottle of whisky, shortbread, or a lump of coal to ensure warmth and prosperity. Traditionally, a tall, dark-haired man is considered the luckiest possible first-footer to welcome into the home.
Global Perspectives from the Travel Desk
Australia: Seafood Platters and Pavlova Under the Sun
While much of the Northern Hemisphere bundles up against freezing temperatures, Christmas in Australia arrives in the dead of summer. Consequently, festive celebrations frequently revolve around the beach, blazing sunshine, and relaxed outdoor gatherings with friends and family.
"The traditional Christmas lunch in Australia is usually seafood, a roast ham served cold, lots of salads and then a pavlova for dessert," explains Lauren Burvill, senior commerce writer and resident Australian. "After lunch the classic traditions are to play cricket in the backyard, or if you’re lucky, on the beach. It’s not unusual to see Santa on the beaches as well, often riding on an inflatable rescue boat from the local surf club. On Boxing Day the country’s favourite pastime is to watch the cricket or the Sydney to Hobart yacht race."
Southern California, US: Surfing Santas on the Coast
Far removed from snowy landscapes and indoor fireplaces, the coastal communities of Southern California offer a uniquely coastal take on the winter holidays, where Santa Claus occasionally swaps his traditional sleigh for a surfboard.
"I grew up in greater Los Angeles, and though December isn’t typically beach weather, something uncanny almost always happens on Christmas," notes Megan Spurrell, associate articles director. "The temperatures spike to the mid-70s Fahrenheit with shining sun and many families, including my own, end up at the beach. But we also go to look out for a very SoCal figure, known as Surfing Santa. We keep our eyes out at Manhattan and Hermosa Beach, especially near the piers, though I’ve heard of surfing santas in Malibu and Santa Monica, too. Most are just local dudes with a Santa suit who reliably hit the waves on Christmas morning to entertain their neighbours (and get a surf session in)."
Austria: The Fearsome Krampus of Alpine Folklore
While many Western European traditions involve Saint Nicholas rewarding children and leaving symbolic lumps of coal for the misbehaved, Austrian folklore introduces a far more intimidating figure: the Krampus. According to legend, the Krampus is a fearsome, horned creature adorned in dark fur with a long, serpentine tongue. He accompanies Saint Nicholas on December 5, known as Krampusnacht, or the eve of Saint Nicholas Day.
While Saint Nicholas distributes sweets and small gifts to well-behaved youngsters, the Krampus is said to frighten or discipline those who have misbehaved throughout the year. Today, this ancient alpine tradition is celebrated through vibrant Krampuslauf parades. Communities in mountain towns and villages watch as participants don elaborate, hand-carved wooden masks and heavy pelts to roam the streets. The enduring power of this folklore even inspired a Hollywood comedy-horror film released in 2015.
Peru: Midnight Celebrations and Fireworks
In Peru, Christmas Eve—known locally as Nochebuena—serves as the primary focus of the holiday season. Families gather for elaborate festive dinners and celebrations that routinely stretch well past midnight.
"We alternate years of spending Christmas in Southern California with my mom and sisters, and going to Lima, Peru, with my husband’s family," says Spurrell. "Though Peru has plenty of traditions tied to Christmas, perhaps my favourite is the sheer fact that the whole affair begins at midnight on the 24th. It can be torture waiting until midnight proper to dig into the feast of turkey and arroz árabe that sits out waiting, but the entire city explodes in fireworks when the clock strikes 12. And then the party doesn’t stop until the wee hours of the morning, sometimes at a family member’s house or at the city’s bars and clubs. It almost feels like a preview of New Year’s Eve, just a few days earlier."
Poland: Dumpling Dinners and Wigilia Suppers
Dumplings remain a staple of Polish cuisine year-round, and the winter holidays are no exception. The traditional Christmas Eve supper, called Wigilia, officially commences the moment the first star appears in the evening sky. Families gather around the table for a meatless feast traditionally consisting of twelve distinct dishes.
"My favourite part of seasonal eating has never been the Great British Christmas Roast, but instead ‘Polish Christmas’, celebrated by my family on Christmas Eve, a haphazard tribute to the Polish side of my family tree," shares Olivia Squire, features editor. "When I was a child, my grandmother used to make pierogi from scratch, which in more recent years has been taken over by my mum and I and usually involves a lot of swearing and tears. It’s all worth it when we sit down to eat them alongside a vegetarian version of bigos, breaded fish and holy wafers, soundtracked by carols from King’s College, my English dad’s addition."
Germany: The Chaotic Joy of Schrottwichteln
Rather than focusing on expensive commercial presents, German holiday customs sometimes introduce a playful element of irony through Schrottwichteln, a tradition where participants exchange unwanted, bizarre, or deliberately useless objects.
"For gifts, we follow the German tradition of Schrottwichteln, where everyone brings something completely useless, unwanted or gloriously ridiculous, often something they were given once and never knew what to do with. The more pointless, tacky or absurd, the better," explains Karin Mueller, visuals director. "Our children have grown up with this ritual, and what began as a cosy dinner has become the highlight of the year. They never miss it. Now that they’re young adults, they bring their partners along, and it’s turned into this wonderfully chaotic, joyful celebration that I’m pretty sure they’ll keep going long after we stop hosting."
England: Festive Dips and Cornish Pub Shouts
Across England, Christmas is observed through widely recognized customs, ranging from gift exchanges and mince pies to traditional carol singing. However, individual counties and coastal neighborhoods maintain distinct local customs. In various seaside towns, hardy residents participate in a Boxing Day dip, sprinting into the freezing waters of the sea to shake off holiday overindulgence while frequently raising money for local charities. Communities also continue the practice of burning a Yule log, historically associated with bringing good fortune and warding off misfortune.
In Cornwall, local communities gather in neighborhood pubs for traditional folk singing sessions known locally as a "shout."
"In the hazy ‘betwixmas’ period, the days of lounging on the sofa and gorging on chocolate are punctuated by one magical evening at a local pub for a Cornish shout," explains Lucy Bruton, social media manager. "A shout refers to the community coming together to sing sea shanties and folk songs in the pub, and the Lerryn shout is a particularly special one to me. The tiny pub feels packed to the eaves with people of all ages belting out some of my favourite Cornish songs—from ‘Trelawny’ to ‘Lamorna’ and, of course, ‘Cornwall My Home’. It’s dark, cosy and a real slice of the magic of Cornwall."
